Tack button



" Allg- 22, 1939. F; H. PETERSON ET Al. 2f709092 TACK BUTTON Filed May4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug, 22, 1939. F. H. PETRsoN Er AL l V2,170,092

TACK BUTTON Filed May 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gin/UWA;

Patented Aug. 22, 1939 T'ACK BUTTON Frederick H. Peterson and Rollin R.Clarke, Wa-

tertown, Conn., assignors to The Patent Button Company, Waterbury,Conn., a. corporation of Connecticut Application Mayfi, 1939, serial No.271,766

8 Claims.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in tack buttonscapable of being oriented, and the present application is a continuationin part of an application led byV us on January 3, 1939, bearing SerialNumber 249,135,

for Tack button.

The .aforementioned invention relates more especially to a solid buttonhead having ats formed on the opposite sides of the hub as well as astep or aligning Wall on the bottom edge of the hub, which ats and stepare pressed or formed at the same time that the insignia is formed onthe upper surface of the button head. The insignia bears a certaindefinite relation to the flats and aligning step on the hub, so that thebutton inpassing to the attaching station of a button-attaching machineis in a properly oriented position. The hub is also shown as providedwith a bore into which the prong of a tack is to be driven but not to bedeformed.

The present invention has. to do with the same type of button which,Vhowever, is made up of a hollow shell, into which is fitted a vise ordie and above which vise or die is placed an anvil,

.i so that when the fastener is driven into the button head, it will beguided through the die,

Where it will be deformed against the anvil toA thus tightly hold thebutton head to its cloth.

The present application also contemplates a button having flats on thesides of the hub together with an aligning Wall or step on the end ofthe hub, While over the shell is placed a cap, which is to be orientedwith respect to said flats and aligning step when the cap is beingsecured about the rim of said shell of the button head.

Of course, after the button head is once assembled, it may be placed inan orienting buttonattaching machine, and as the insignia bears adefinite relation to the flats and aligning wall, which latterdetermines the position (rotated position) of the button on theattaching station in the button-attaching machine, the button with itsinsignia will be inA its proper, readable position when attached to itsgarment. f

Another object of the invention, therefore, is to produce a relativelyinexpensive tack button comprising a. button shell or back, the hub ofwhich is provided with means for orienting the button, and in whichshell there is a die to receive the conventional form of tack fastenerand an anvil to defo-rm the same. To the shell is fastened the cap Withthe desired insignia thereon, the cap being oriented in a predeterminedposition when secured to said shell.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a button which maybe of relatively light metal, the cap of which will have the desiredinsignia thereon. Also, the button is capable of beautomaticallyoriented when passing from its hopper in the attaching machine to theattaching station. Y

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnew andnovel features and combination of parts, as will Vbe hereinaftermore fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment and amodied form of die or vise, which may equally as Well be used in thebutton- Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the button shell;

. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof;

- Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. fi is a sectional view of theassembled but ton;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 6 is a top plan 4view of the cap;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a complete button with a slightlymodified form of vise or die therein;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the vise;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 11 is a view of the button attached to the strap of a garment; andv Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view on the line |2-I2 of Fig. 11.

Referring now more particularly to the several views, there is shown inFig. 1 a button shell consisting of the hub l the back 2, and theoutwardly flaring rim 3. The hub is provided on its* opposite sides withthe flats 4' and 5, While the bottom surface of the hub has the ridge orstep 6 to form an aligning wall l, as may be seen` in the several views.It will be noticed that this step 6 and aligning wall l extend parallelwith the flat 5 and are also parallel with the ilat 4 on the oppositeside of the hub. These flats and step 6 and aligning wall 'l' make itpossible for the button to pass out of a hopper (not shown.) of abutton-attaching machine in only one oriented position, while the flatson the opposite side of the hub prevent the button from turning asv itpasses down a chute (not shown) of a button-attaching machine to theattaching station.

The machine for attaching and orienting the button is shown in anapplication filed by Frederick H. Peterson on December l2, 1938, bearingSerial Number 245,278, for Orienting button-attaching machine.

These shells are made from sheet metal and stamped to the shape andcontour shown in a rapid manner, thereby making them relativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

The bottom of the shell is pierced or perforated, as at 8, for therecep-tion of the prong of a tack fastener, as will be shortlymentioned.

In Fig. 4, there is shown what is known in the trade as a vise or die 9to guide and receive the prong of a fastener, after which the prong willbe deformed in the attaching operation, as shown in Fig. l2.

This vise or die also forms the subject-matter of a separate applicationfiled by Frederick H. Peterson on August 11, 1938, bearing Serial Number224,387, for Metal vise for tack buttons.

After the vise isv placed in the shell, as sho-wn in Fig. 4, the hub isdented preferably on the flats l and 5 to force the metal inwardly, asat I9, and into a receptive groove II circumferentially of the die 9.

After the vise has been fitted in the hub, an anvil I2 is placed in theshell over the die and rests on the bottom 2 thereof, while over thebutton shell is then rimmed a cap I3, which may have any desiredinsignia, such as I4, formed therein. Generally, the insignia denotes abrand or trade-mark, or the insignia may be a fanciful design. as iswell understood.

Now inasmuch as the button head may pass down a chute in only a certainpredetermined oriented position, it is necessary to orient the capbefore securing it to the shell. One me-thod is to notch out the shell,as at I5 (Fig. 5), to form a registering means and see that' the capwith its insignia and this notch bear a definite relation to the flatsand aligning wall i as the cap is rimmed about the shell.

The machine for o-rienting the cap with respect to its shell forms nopart of the present invention.

in Figs. 7 to l2, there is shown an identical fori of buttcn shell butwith a different form of die, which may be used equally as well as theone shown in Fig. 4. In this instance, the button shell 2l is formed inthe same manner as the previous shell. Likewise, the anvil 22 and thecap 23 are identical in structure, as illustrated in the preferred form.Furthermore, the flats 26 on the hub as well as the aligning wall 25 arealso the same, but the die 2S isof solid metal and slightly rectangularin shape to more closely fit within the hub 2'! of the shell.

The die is also provided with a bore 28, while the upper and undersurfaces of the die are flared, as at 29 and 39, about the bore toprovide a seat for the deformed end 20 of the prong of the tack fastenerafter it impinges against the anvil during the attaching operation.Also, o-n the opposite outer flat walls of the die are the longitudinalgrooves 3|, so that after the die is fitted Within the shell, the metalmay be prickpunched or dented, as at 32, to hold the die in itsposition, as shown in Fig. '7.

By constructing the die as above-outlined, it will be seen that it canbe fed to the button shells in end-for-end positions while either faceconstitutes the upper or bottom surface, depending on which way ithappens to be dropped in the shell. In other words, the die lends itselfreadily to being fed in a machine to the shell, as it may be in anupright or inverted position or in an end-to-end position without in anyway affecting its assembly in the shell.

When this form of die is used, the prong of the fastener will be drivenup through the die, deiiected, deformed, and bear on the die in the samemanner that it does in the preferred form.

Of course, the cap 23 is provided on its under surface with a notch 33or other orienting means, so that the cap with its insignia 34 may beoriented with respect to the flats and the aligning wall of the buttonshell, as in the previously mentioned form of button.

In both instances, the button is attached to its garment I6 by the useof a tack fastener l1, which is provided with a head I8 and a prong I9.As is well known, the attaching operation is done in a button-attachingmachine, the button head Vbeing Vpositioned on an attaching station anddriven down onto the registering fastener II, so that the prong I9 willpierce the garment I6, pass through the opening 8 in the bottom of theshell, pass through the die 9 or the die 26, and impinge against theanvil to thus deform the prong, as at 29, to tightly hold the buttonhead to its garment.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that we have designed a hollow shellmetal button that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and that maybe oriented in a special orienting and attaching machine. The cap,however, has to be first oriented with respect to its back or shell,which was not necessary in the application led by us on January 3, 1939,bearing Serial Number 249,- 135, for Tack button, heretofore mentioned.

Many slight changes might be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A button head consisting of a shell, the said shell having anintegral hollow hub, flats formed in the hub and the end of the hubhaving an aligning wall parallel with the flats, means within the shellfor deforming the prong of a tack fastener, a cap on said shell havinginsignia thereon, and the insignia bearing a definite relation to theats and aligning wall on the hub.

2. A shell tack button capable of being oriented in a button-attachingmachine, the said button consisting of a hollow shell, said shell havingan integral hollow hub, flats formed in the sides of the hub and a stepin the end of the hub and eX- tending parallel `with the said flats, adie locked within the shell adapted to'receive and hold the prong of atack fastener, a cap on said shell having insignia thereon, and theinsignia bearing a definite relation to the ats and step on the hub` ofthe shell.

3. A b-utton head capable of being oriented comprising a hollow shell,the said shell having a depending integral hub, flats formed in the hub,the end of the hub having an aligning wall eX- tending in a definiterelation to the flats, a die within the shell, metal in the flats dentedinwardly to Contact with said die and hold the same within the shell, acap on said shell having insignia thereon, and the insignia bearing adefinite relation to the flats and the aligning wall formed in the hubof the shell.

4.. A hollow shell tack button capable of being oriented in abutton-attaching machine including a shell having a hollow dependingperforate hub, a die'for receiving the prong of a tack fas- 75 tener insaid shell. flats formed on the opposite sides of the hub and a stepformed in the bottom edge of the hub and bearing a denite relation tothe flats, means extending from the flats contacting with the die forlocking the die within the hub of the shell, an anvil Within the shellfor deforming the prong of a tack fastener, a cap having insignia on itsface and a notched rim, and the cap being oriented with relation to theflats and step on the hub,

5. A hollow shell tack button capable of being oriented in abutton-attaching machine including a shell having a hub, means in theshell adapted to receive and deform the prong of a tack fastener, a caprimmed about the shell having insignia on its face, and means on theside of the hub and the end of the hub for orienting purposes bearing adeinite relation to the insignia on said cap.

6. A button head consisting of a thin metal shell, the said shell havingan integral hollow hub, ats formed in the hub, the end of the hubprovided with an integral step parallel with the iiats for aligningpurposes, means within the shell for receiving and deforming the prongof a tack fastener and the said step forming a seat for said receivingmeans, a cap on said shell having insignia thereon, and the insigniabearing a denite relation to the iiats and the step on the hub.

7. A button head consisting of a hollow shell, the said shell having anintegral hollow hub, a iiat formed in the hub, the end of the hub havinga step formed therein parallel with the at for aligning purposes,receiving and deforming means for a fastener within the shell, the saidstep also forming a seat for the said receiving means, a cap on saidshell having insignia thereon, and the insignia bearing a deniterelation to the at and the step on the hub. y

8. A button head capable of being oriented con.- sisting of a hollowshell,v the said shell having an integral hollow hub, the lower end ofthe hub having an integral step formed therein, means within the shelland resting on the step for receiving the prong of a tack, a cap on saidshell having insignia thereon, and the insignia bearing a definiterelation to the step on the end of the hub.

FREDERICK H. PETERSON. ROLLIN R. CLARKE.

